record of their career at sea.

This follows the passing of the Merchant Shipping Fees Amendment Regulations 2000 in the Senate on Monday.

Captain Pat Nawaratne, Principal Marine Surveyor at Marine and Ports Services, explained that the new legislation introduces `Discharge Books' which record a seaman's career at sea.

Previously seamen were given a paper slip listing the details of a completed voyage but the new legislation was introduced after requests from the shipping industry and seamen themselves.

A discharge book will act not only as a permanent record but will also identify individuals as bonafide seamen.

The book will also list skills they accumulate through their career and so act as a resume or service history.

Every seaman on every ship should eventually have a discharge book.

The UK already has such a system in place for Commonwealth ships and those already in possession of a UK discharge book will not need to be issued a Bermuda Book, even though he is on a Bermuda registered ship.

This is because Bermuda falls into the Commonwealth group which includes countries such as the UK, Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Jersey and all fly the same flag.

Captain Nawaratne said they are waiting for legislation to be signed into law before the books can be issued but are expecting an initial demand of 400.

He said they eventually expect to have demand for 2,000 books and ships on the Bermuda register were advised to send their applications as soon as possible once the registry is in place.

Bermuda also leads the commonwealth group for gross tonnage of ships on its registry.

The group includes the UK, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Jersey.

In January, the Bermuda Registry of Shipping reached a new milestone with some 656 million tons of international shipping on the register.

The register grew by 34 percent in 1999 with 147 large commercial vessels and 334 pleasure yachts now registered in Bermuda.

The Bermuda Government was earning approximately $1 million a year from 130 registered ships who paid between $3,000 and $25,000 a year based on gross tonnage.

However, the number of ships is never static and Capt. Nawaratne points out that where a ship is registered is often down to economics and therefore ships come and go all the time.

The increase comes despite the UK introducing legislation changing how ships registered in the UK are charged to make them more competitive.

SEAMAN SEAMEN SHI